Covid19-Sources

Background Starting December 2020, Israel began a mass vaccination campaign against coronavirus administering the Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine, which led to a sharp curtailing of the outbreak. After a period with almost no SARS-CoV-2 infections, a resurgent COVID-19 outbreak initiated mid June 2021. Possible reasons for the breakthrough were reduced vaccine effectiveness against the Delta variant, and waning immunity. The aim of this study was to quantify the extent of waning immunity using Israel’s national-database. Methods Data on all PCR positive test results between July 11-31, 2021 of Israeli residents who became fully vaccinated before June 2021 were used in this analysis. Infection rates and severe COVID-19 outcomes were compared between individuals who were vaccinated in different time periods using a Poisson regression, stratifying by age group and adjusting for possible confounding factors. Results The rates of both documented SARS-CoV-2 infections and severe COVID-19 exhibit a statistically significant increase as time from second vaccine dose elapsed. Elderly individuals (60+) who received their second dose in March 2021 were 1.6 (CI: [1.3, 2]) times more protected against infection and 1.7 (CI: [1.0, 2.7]) times more protected against severe COVID-19 compared to those who received their second dose in January 2021. Similar results were found for different age groups. Conclusions These results indicate a strong effect of waning immunity in all age groups after six months. Quantifying the effect of waning immunity on vaccine effectiveness is critical for policy makers worldwide facing the dilemma of administering booster vaccinations. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement No funding. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Sheba Medical Center. Helsinki approval number: SMC-8228-21. All necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes Aggregated data are given in the supplementary information. Personal data cannot be shared due to privacy.

A new pre-print of a study showing a detailed analysis of waning immunity in Israel: https://t.co/3OwrnDTpV6 TL/DR: infection rate and severe disease rates both significantly increase with vaccine age (thread)

---Severe COVID-19 patients, ages 12-60 in ISRAEL--- . Only 19% of the population are unvaccinated and are responsible for 78% of the severely hospitalized. . Only 2 patients under the age of 20 so without them it is only 15% who are not vaccinated. https://t.co/NX4EQ2uIjg

@EricTopol @CellCellPress Adding some context from Israel: 1. The analysis by Israel MoH specifically stated that symptomatic infections weren’t analysed d/t data issues 2. VE for severe disease is 94% after 6m+ in 40-59yo, accdn’g to Israel MoH analysis https://t.co/Tga9vb6Flv

Herzentzündungen, Embolien und die ersten Toten: Nach Beginn der Impfkampagne für Kinder und Jugendliche ab zwölf Jahren häufen sich die Verdachtsmeldungen möglicher Impfschäden auch in dieser Altersgruppe. Das geht aus dem neuen Bericht des Paul-Ehrlich-Instituts bis Ende August hervor. Und wahrscheinlich ist das nur die Spitze des Eisbergs.

Schauen wir nach Deutschland Im Prinzip das Gleiche in blau. Das Verhältnis der tgl. bis zu 30.000 COVID19 Fälle in KW50/51 zu den bis zu 1.5 Millionen geimpften Menschen pro Tag ist gut erkennbar. Die 30.000 COVID19 Fälle Ende 2020 führten zu einer deutlichen 10/n https://t.co/U5MoqwhJZV

The objective of this study was to estimate vaccine effectiveness (VE) against COVID-19 hospitalization and ICU admission, per period according to dominating SARS-CoV-2 variant (Alpha and Delta), per vaccine and per time since vaccination. To this end, data from the national COVID-19 vaccination register was added to the national register of COVID-19 hospitalizations. For the study period 4 April – 29 August 2021, 15,571 hospitalized people with COVID-19 were included in the analysis, of whom 887 (5.7%) were fully vaccinated. Incidence rates of hospitalizations and ICU admissions per age group and vaccination status were calculated, and VE was estimated as 1-incidence rate ratio, adjusted for calendar date and age group in a negative binomial regression model. VE against hospitalization for full vaccination was 94% (95%CI 93-95%) in the Alpha period and 95% (95%CI 94-95%) in the Delta period. The VE for full vaccination against ICU admission was 93% (95%CI 87-96%) in the Alpha period and 97% (95%CI 97-98%) in the Delta period. VE was high in all age groups and did not show waning with time since vaccination up to 20 weeks after full vaccination. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This work was funded by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: The Centre for Clinical Expertise at the RIVM assessed the research proposal. They verified whether the work complies with the specific conditions as stated in the law for medical research involving human subjects (WMO), and were of the opinion that the research does not fulfill one or both of these conditions and therefore conclude it is exempted for further approval by the ethical research committee. All necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes The primary data is not publicly available. Aggregated tables of these data are made available weekly at the website of the RIVM.

Background and Objectives While most maintenance dialysis patients exhibit initial seroresponse to vaccination, concerns remain regarding the durability of this antibody response. This study evaluated immunity over time. Design, setting, participants, and measurements This retrospective cohort study included maintenance dialysis patients from a midsize national dialysis provider who received a complete SARS-CoV-2 vaccine series and had at least one antibody titer checked after full vaccination. Immunoglobulin G spike antibodies (SAb-IgG) titers were assessed monthly with routine labs beginning after full vaccination and followed over time; the semiquantitative SAb-IgG titer reported a range between 0 and ≥ 20 U/L. Descriptive analyses compared trends over time by prior history of COVID-19 and type of vaccine received. Time-to-event analyses were conducted for the outcome of loss of seroresponse (SAb-IgG < 1 U/L or development of COVID-19). Cox proportional hazards regression was used to adjust for additional clinical characteristics of interest. Results Among 1898 maintenance dialysis patients, 1567 (84%) had no prior history of COVID-19. Patients without a history of COVID-19 had declining titers over time. Among 441 BNT162b2/Pfizer recipients, median [IQR] SAb-IgG titer declined from 20 [5.99-20] U/L in month 1 to 1.30 [0.15-3.59] U/L by month 6. Among 779 mRNA-1273/Moderna recipients, median [IQR] SAb-IgG titer declined from 20 [20-20] in month 1 to 6.20 [1.74-20] by month 6. The 347 Ad26.COV2.S/Janssen recipients had a lower titer response than mRNA vaccine recipients over all time periods. In time-to-event analyses, Ad26.COV2.S/Janssen and mRNA-1273/Moderna recipients had the shortest and longest time to loss of seroresponse, respectively. The maximum titer reached in the first two months after full vaccination was predictive of the durability of the SAb-IgG seroresponse; patients with SAb-IgG titer 1-19.99 U/L were more likely to have loss of seroresponse compared to patients with SAb-IgG titer ≥ 20 U/L (HR 23.9 [95% CI: 16.1-35.5]). Conclusions Vaccine-induced seroresponse wanes over time among maintenance dialysis patients across vaccine types. Early titers after full vaccination predict the durability of seroresponse. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement CMH receives support from ASN KidneyCure's Ben J. Lipps Research fellowship. CMH's funder had no role in study design, data collection, reporting, or the decision to submit. Mr. Aweh, Dr. Manley, Mr. Ladik, Ms. Frament, Dr. Johnson and Dr. Lacson Jr are all employees of DCI, where Dr. Johnson is Vice Chair of the Board. Dr. Weiner, Dr. Miskulin, Dr. Agyropoulos, Dr. Abreo, Dr. Chin, Dr. Gladish, and Dr. Salman receive salary support to their institution from DCI. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: This study was reviewed and approved by the WCG IRB Work Order 1-1456342-1. All necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes Data are available upon request.

Patients on dialysis vaccinated with the attenuated adenovirus SARS-CoV-2 vaccine might mount an impaired response to vaccination.We evaluated the humoral vaccination response among 2,099 fully vaccinated patients receiving dialysis. We used commercially ...

Nature - &lt;ArticleTitle Language=&quot;En&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;High genetic barrier to SARS-CoV-2 polyclonal neutralizing antibody...

Abstract 19 On August 30, 2021, the WHO classified the SARS-CoV-2 Mu variant (B.1.621 20 lineage) as a new variant of interest. The WHO defines “comparative assessment of 21 virus characteristics and public health risks” as primary action in response to the 22 emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we demonstrate that the Mu variant 23 is highly resistant to sera from COVID-19 convalescents and BNT162b2-vaccinated 24 individuals. Direct comparison of different SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins revealed that 25 Mu spike is more resistant to serum-mediated neutralization than all other currently 26 recognized variants of interest (VOI) and concern (VOC). This includes the Beta 27 variant (B.1.351) that has been suggested to represent the most resistant variant to 28 convalescent and vaccinated sera to date (e.g., Collier et al, Nature, 2021; Wang et 29 al, Nature, 2021). Since breakthrough infection by newly emerging variants is a 30 major concern during the current COVID-19 pandemic (Bergwerk et al., NEJM, 31 2021), we believe that our findings are of significant public health interest. Our results 32 will help to better assess the risk posed by the Mu variant for vaccinated, previously 33 infected and naïve populations.

Das DocMedicus Gesundheitslexikon informiert Sie über individuelle Vorsorgemaßnahmen (Prävention) inklusive Impfungen, Diagnostik und Therapie von Erkrankungen, Labormedizin, Medizingerätediagnostik etc.

Background: The infection fatality rate (IFR) of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) varies widely according to age and residence status. Purpose: Estimate the IFR of COVID-19 in community-dwelling elderly populations and other age groups from seroprevalence studies. Study protocol: https://osf.io/47cgb. Data Sources: Seroprevalence studies done in 2020 and identified by any of four existing systematic reviews. Study Selection: SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence studies with ≥1000 participants aged ≥70 years that presented seroprevalence in elderly people; aimed to generate samples reflecting the general population; and whose location had available data on cumulative COVID-19 deaths in elderly (primary cutoff ≥70 years; ≥65 or ≥60 also eligible). Data Extraction: We extracted the most fully adjusted (if unavailable, unadjusted) seroprevalence estimates and sampling procedure details. We also extracted age- and residence-stratified cumulative COVID-19 deaths (until 1 week after the seroprevalence sampling midpoint) from official reports, and population statistics, to calculate IFRs corrected for unmeasured antibody types. Sample size- weighted IFRs were estimated for countries with multiple estimates. Secondary analyses examined data on younger age strata from the same studies. Data Synthesis: Twenty-three seroprevalence surveys representing 14 countries were included. Across all countries, the median IFR in community-dwelling elderly and elderly overall was 2.4% (range 0.3%-7.2%) and 5.5% (range 0.3%-12.1%). IFR was higher with larger proportions of people >85 years. Younger age strata had low IFR values (median 0.0027%, 0.014%, 0.031%, 0.082%, 0.27%, and 0.59%, at 0-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60-69 years). Limitations: Biases in seroprevalence and mortality data. Conclusions: The IFR of COVID-19 in community-dwelling elderly people is lower than previously reported. Very low IFRs were confirmed in the youngest populations.

The post-infection of COVID-19 includes a myriad of neurologic symptoms including neurodegeneration. Protein aggregation in brain can be considered as one of the important reasons behind the neurodegeneration. SARS-CoV-2 Spike S1 protein receptor binding ...

Objectives The management of the COVID-19 pandemic hinges on the approval of safe and effective vaccines but, equally importantly, on high vaccine acceptance among people. To facilitate vaccine acceptance via effective health communication, it is key to understand levels of vaccine scepticism and the demographic, psychological and political predictors. To this end, we examine the levels and predictors of acceptance of an approved COVID-19 vaccine. Design, setting and participants We examine the levels and predictors of acceptance of an approved COVID-19 vaccine in large online surveys from eight Western democracies that differ in terms of the severity of the pandemic and their response: Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Italy, UK and USA (total N=18 231). Survey respondents were quota sampled to match the population margins on age, gender and geographical location for each country. The study was conducted from September 2020 to February 2021, allowing us to assess changes in acceptance and predictors as COVID-19 vaccine programmes were rolled out. Outcome measure The outcome of the study is self-reported acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine approved and recommended by health authorities. Results The data reveal large variations in vaccine acceptance that ranges from 83% in Denmark to 47% in France and Hungary. Lack of vaccine acceptance is associated with lack of trust in authorities and scientists, conspiratorial thinking and a lack of concern about COVID-19. Conclusion Most national levels of vaccine acceptance fall below estimates of the required threshold for herd immunity. The results emphasise the long-term importance of building trust in preparations for health emergencies such as the current pandemic. For health communication, the results emphasise the importance of focusing on personal consequences of infections and debunking of myths to guide communication strategies. Data are available in a public, open access repository at Open Science Framework: .

PDF | Ever since its emergence since 2019, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought the healthcare setup down with its burden of varied... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate

Objective To determine risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalisation among children and adolescents. Design Nationwide, population-based cohort study. Setting: Norway from 1 March 2020 to 31 April 2021. Participants: All Norwegian residents

Nature Biotechnology - Single-cell sequencing reveals pre-activated immunity as important for milder COVID-19 symptoms in children.

Objectives Using the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD), this work aims to investigate and quantify the characteristics of children dying of COVID-19, and to identify any changes in rate of childhood mortality during the pandemic. Design We compared the characteristics of the children who died in 2020, split by SARS-CoV-2 status. A negative binomial regression model was used to compare mortality rates in lockdown (23 March–28 June), with those children who died in the preceding period (6 January–22 March), as well as a comparable period in 2019. Setting England. Participants Children (0–17 years). Main outcome measures Characteristics and number of the children who died in 2020, split by SARS-CoV-2 status. Results 1550 deaths of children between 6th of January and 28 June 2020 were notified to the NCMD; 437 of the deaths were linked to SARS-CoV-2 virology records, 25 (5.7%) had a positive PCR result. PCR-positive children were less likely to be white (37.5% vs 69.4%, p=0.003) and were older (12.2 vs 0.7 years, p

Studies find that overall risk of death or severe disease from COVID-19 is very low in kids.

The risk of severe illness and death from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, is extremely low in children and teenagers, according to the most comprehensive analyses of public health data, led by researchers at UCL, University of Bristol, University of York and the University of Liverpool.

Eine Vorabveröffentlichung der renommierten Oxford University Clinical Research Group, die am 10. August in The Lancet veröffentlicht wurde, ergab, dass geimpfte Personen im Vergleich zu ungeimpften Personen eine 251-mal höhere Anzahl an COVID-19-Viren in ihren Nasenlöchern haben.

Vitamin D for COVID-19. Treatment studies - 43% improvement, p < 0.0001 Sufficiency studies - 56% improvement, p < 0.0001

This cohort study examines whether patients’ most recent vitamin D levels and treatment for insufficient vitamin D levels are associated with test results for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

ZyCoV-D ist der Vorbote einer Reihe von DNA-Impfstoffen gegen verschiedene Krankheiten

Da es gerade bzgl. der Varianten etwas durcheinander geht. Kolumbianische Variante B.1.621 ist nicht Lambda (C.37) und auch nicht Kappa (B.1.617.1). Übersicht über die Spike-Mutationen und Vgl. mit Alpha (B.117), Beta (B.1.351), Delta (B.1.617.2), Gamma (P.1) und Lambda (C.37) ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/VfieTDjcF1— Jan Hartmann (@pelagicbird) August 7, 2021

Two COVID-19 antivirals in pill form are now in Phase 3 trials, raising hopes that a proven oral treatment will soon be available to quell SARS-CoV-2 infection. 20210903lnp2-molnup.jpg Merck & Co. with partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics are well into a Phase 3 trial of molnupiravir as a treatment for people who are in early infection. The firms announced this week that they are enrolling uninfected people who live with someone who is COVID-19 positive in a new Phase 3 trial to test the small molecule’s ability to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. 20210903lnp2-struct.jpg Pfizer’s PF-07321332, in combination with the HIV antiviral ritonavir, has begun Phase 2/3 testing as a treatment for people who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 but who are less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19. As the pandemic reaches the 18-month mark, there is still only one antiviral approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat COVID-19. Remdesivir, from Gilead Sciences, is an injectable drug that must be given in a hospital setting. COVID-19 starts off as a viral infection that can be mild, but it progresses in many people to an inflammatory disease that can kill. Some clinicians have said that by the time someone is hospitalized and eligible to receive remdesivir, the inflammatory symptoms have taken over, thwarting the antiviral’s effect. Having an antiviral in pill form would take the burden off hospitals, says Daria Hazuda, an antiviral expert and vice president of infectious disease discovery at Merck. A pill would also be easier to disseminate to patients and be easier to take, bolstering compliance.